บททั้งหมดของ THE DON'S CAPTIVE MISTRESS : บทที่ 101 - บทที่ 110

HAZELI wake up early, tossing and turning the whole night, my mind racing. I feel lost, unsure of what I’m supposed to do today, unsure of what awaits me out that door. It’s the same feeling as yesterday, the same uncertainty.I slip into a fresh pair of clothes and sandals, trying to push the fog from my mind, trying to focus on something, anything, other than the chaos inside me. I walk out the door, hoping, praying, that everyone will be back. I want the house to be normal again. But when I step into the hallway, it’s not. It’s still too quiet. Too empty.It’s been three days. Three days of silence, and I still haven’t seen anyone. I can’t even believe it’s been that long. I make my way downstairs, my footsteps echoing in the still house. Everything is pristine again this morning, as if nothing has ever been out of place. The house is spotless, neat, and arranged just as it always is, far from everything I had put it through yesterday. But there’s something different. The quiet is

HAZEL“Enough.” Natasha's voice snaps. “You don’t get to talk back. Not now.”"Fine. I am not here to talk back at you, but you have to see things on my end too...""Are you here to apologise or make me understand your selfish side of the events?"I clamp my mouth shut immediately. Little mouse. Listen. Obey.She circles the island slowly, eyes never leaving mine. “You think saying sorry makes you innocent? You think that makes everything go away?”“I think it’s what Axel wanted,” I say before I can stop myself.The air shifts. Angela stiffens. Amanda's head jerks up. Natasha stops walking. Slowly, she smiles.“Oh,” she says softly. “So this isn’t about me... It's about Mr Morretti.”I don’t answer. I don’t have to.She turns, reaches for a cloth, and starts wiping the already spotless counter with unnecessary force. “You don’t apologise because you’re sorry. You're apologising because you have to.”I swallow. “Yes.” The honesty surprises even me.Natasha looks at me then, really loo

HAZELThe idea excites me more than it should. The thought that Axel might still care enough to want me warm. To order something for me..... It’s stupid, I know it is.But Amanda shakes her head. “No. I was just finishing up in the kitchen when I noticed you. I’m leaving with my brother.”“Your brother?” I ask, frowning.“Maximus,” she says with a laugh. “He works here. Very low level. I was waiting to see if he could give me a ride home. When I saw you out here, I thought you might like the milk.”“Thank you,” I say again, meaning it.“I should go,” she says. “Magnus gets angry if things don’t go his way. He’d probably leave me behind if he comes looking and doesn’t find me.”“Okay,” I say, smiling. “Thanks again.”“Don’t worry about it,” she replies softly.I watch her walk away, and I smile to myself. I think Amanda sees something in me. Or maybe she feels sorry for me. Either way, if I keep being good with her, if I keep cultivating this....maybe it will pay off in the end.I stay

HAZELI have never been in the same room with him like this, just the two of us. Especially without Axel here.So I choose not to engage him. Instead, I focus on my food, trying to fill the silence. But Remo isn’t eating his food. He’s just watching me, almost like he's studying me, like he’s trying to figure me out. It makes me feel uneasy.“So… the food is nice,” I say finally, cutting into my meal and taking a bite, hoping chewing will force him to talk and stop staring.“Yeah,” he says. “Natasha is a great cook.”I wince, immediately remembering my situation with Natasha. Remembering the showdown in Axel’s office.“You could’ve had her quit,” he adds. “And we wouldn't be enjoying her delicious cooking right now.”He doesn’t say it bitterly. He doesn’t laugh either.I realise then that I have an easier time with Remo when Axel is in the room than when he’s not.And the question keeps circling in my head, louder with every second:If Axel isn’t here…Why the hell is Remo?He doesn’t

HAZELIt has been a few days since Remo was here after that awkward dinner. I haven’t seen him again, maybe just a few glimpses around from afar.But so far, no sign of Axel. I wonder if he’s even here. I wonder if he took one of those trips far away. And then I remind myself that I shouldn’t care.But how can I not care when he’s the man with the keys to take me out of here?I can’t go anywhere without him. He was the only one who ever took me outside this house. Whenever I need anything, Angela always seems to have it or know where to get it. She just brings it over, quietly, efficiently, without ever needing me to leave. Sometimes it makes me so tired I want to shout in her face and tell her I just want to get out of this house. But I don’t.I can’t afford another meltdown. I can’t make her mad, not when she doesn’t look at me like I killed her favourite pet. She responds to my greetings now. She doesn’t look at me like she wants to kill me. That’s progress. Right?The food has bee